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Tip 29 Random Acts of Kindness

The following tip in our 31 day series is directly from chapter 13 of my book, Positivity on Purpose: Intentionally Create More Abundance, Wealth and Happiness.

Random Acts of KindNess

“He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself”

– James Matthew Barrie

One of the quickest and best ways to stop thinking about our own misery is to focus on how we can improve the life of someone else, even if only just for a moment. Doing good deeds or Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) take our focus off of our own trials and tribulations, help us to see that others may be even less fortunate than ourselves and facilitate our gratitude for what is currently good in our own lives right now.

In addition, there is some scientific evidence that proves doing good for others is good for us. There was a study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri which showed that when brains are scanned with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) while making charitable donations vs refusing to make charitable donations, the same area of the brain which is affected by receiving monetary rewards also lights up with the giving of charitable donations. Giving and helping others makes us feel just as good as receiving financial rewards.

Good acts can come in many forms such as monetary donations, time or prayers. Each form has benefits and no form is necessarily better than the other.

Performing good acts is a win-win.

ACTION STEP

This one is simple. Make it a point to perform various acts of kindness. These can be long-term commitments to non-profit agencies or quick, two-second acts that have long term effects. Here are some suggestions for the small RAKs:

Buy a dozen flowers and hand them out at random.

Pay for someone’s toll behind you.

Help someone across the street.

Gather a few neighbors to help clean up the worst yard on the block.

Leave an anonymous note for a co-worker telling them what you value in them.

Ask the grocery store clerk how their day is before they ask you and ask with sincerity.

In addition, there are a great number of charity organizations that could use your donation of time and/or money. Consider some of these great charities:

Taking a few moments or even a few hours a week to think about someone else’s needs may be the greatest boost to your own positive outlook you’ll find. It is just like taking a drug only without all the side effects.

Remember, it takes practice.

Would you like to read more from Positivity on Purpose? You can order your copy here or get the Kindle version from Amazon.com.

What are your favorite Random Acts of Kindness? Share in the comments below.

Nicole has scaled her own personal mountain to climb out of ordinary. For over 20 years, Nicole Bandes has studied the most effective methods to increase happiness and success in her own life and in business. She has gone on to helped thousands of people in their own personal journeys to reach their goals.
Contact Nicole if you are ready to stop being ordinary and have a guided tour to reach your summit of success.